Press Release: Agent 88 [Web Series]

Full Moon Reviews has received some information about an upcoming web series called AGENT 88. And after watching an episode in a private screening, I have to say that this is a web series you guys should definitely keep an eye on.

Here's some information on AGENT 88:

“Kay Darcy is the octogenarian Jackie Chan.”  – The LA Times

Meet the Creative Team: 
Digger T. Mesch (Ultraviolet, X-Men: Dark Tide, Gears of War)
Joseph Gatt (Game of Thrones, Banshee, Star Trek into Darkness, Thor)
Jan Upstein (Pumpkinhead, Snake Plissken Chronicles)
Kevin Eastman  (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Heavy Metal Magazine)


Agent 88 is the world’s deadliest assassin... an 88-year-old British woman on the verge of Alzheimer’s.

An eclectic cocktail of Kill Bill, 007, and Mr. Magoo, AGENT 88 is a dark, action comedy that meshes wry wit with cutting-edge martial arts action, slick visual effects and the conviction that... killing just gets better with age. She may suffer from the occasional bout of forgetfulness but this geriatric killing machine is as proficient with a bazooka as she is lucky at bingo.  


As I mentioned, I watched an episode of AGENT 88. And honestly... I thought it was very, very cool. The direction had a ton of style. The blue hue that tints the picture makes some of the other colors pop out and look vivid. It's shot on digital and looks great. The action sequences are choreographed expertly well, directed in exciting angles that exhance the fight scenes. We get some MATRIX moments, as well as a Batman TV show inspired words after someone gets hit. Watching an elderly lady beat the crap out of bad guys is just so hilarious, yet awesome at the same time.

Speaking of the elderly lady, actress Kay Darcy is just incredible in the role. She's one half Mary Poppins, one half The Bride from KILL BILL. Her British accent brings out an aura of class, politeness, and sweetness that goes against the fact that she can kick butt better than anyone half her age. With sharp hair pins, battle sticks that double for handles for her water, and a durability that I don't even have, this is one badass old lady. Darcy plays the role really well.

I honestly hope to see AGENT 88 gain more exposure, because this could be a great extremely popular web series due to its novelty and style. Definitely be on the lookout for AGENT 88.








AGENT 88 MEDIA
Entertainment Weekly Online coverage

Kickstarter Campaign: Highest Funded Webseries
Heavy Metal Magazine - Book Video
LA Times: How Kay Darcy Became Agent 88 Video

LA Times: Martial Arts Action Hero Article

PRESS RELEASE: Trailers for [REC] 3 & V/H/S

A few weeks ago, I posted a press release on a very anticipated indie horror film called V/H/S and promised I would post more if new information was sent in to me. Well, not only has a red-band trailer for the film been released, but a regular green band trailer has also made a presence. Looks like an awesome time.

Here's the synopsis for V/H/S:

When a group of petty criminals is hired by a mysterious party to retrieve a rare piece of found footage from a rundown house in the middle of nowhere, they soon realize that the job isn’t going to be as easy as they thought. In the living room, a lifeless body holds court before a hub of old television sets, surrounded by stacks upon stacks of VHS tapes. As they search for the right one, they are treated to a seemingly endless number of horrifying videos, each stranger than the last.
 
Bringing together some of the top filmmakers in the game today, this wickedly conceived horror anthology sends the viewer through a gauntlet of suspense, terror, shock, and downright brutality—instantly distinguishing itself from a sea of lackluster found-footage horror flicks. The diverse and deviously creative minds behind V/H/S shatter any preconceived notions about the genre, making it feel inventive and captivating once again.



Green Band Trailer
Official Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/VHSfilm

*** V/H/S will be available through Magnolia On-Demand starting 8/31; in theaters starting 10/5 ***



I also have news on another anticipated horror film. [REC] 3 finally gets a red band trailer that also looks pretty sweet. Magnet Releasing will distribute the film on VOD on Friday, August 3rd. Those who want to see it in theaters will get a chance when it's released selectively on Friday, September 7th. As a fan of this series so far, I'm looking very forward to this one.

Here's the synopsis for [REC] 3:

Koldo and Clara are about to celebrate the most important day of their lives: their wedding. Everything appears to be running smoothly and the bride, the groom and their families are enjoying a wonderful day in the countryside until some of the guests start showing signs of a strange illness. Before they know what’s happening, the bride and groom find themselves in the middle of a hellish ordeal, as an uncontrollable torrent of violence is unleashed on the wedding. What started off as an idyllic day quickly descends into a nightmare of the worst kind…

It has a running time of 80 minutes and is rated R by the MPAA.






*** Official Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rec3 ***

PRESS RELEASE: Poster Released for V/H/S

V/H/S is a highly anticipated horror film that will be released on Magnolia On Demand on August 31st and in theaters on October 5th. With an awesome poster and an interesting plot, I definitely want to check it out.

Here's the synopsis for V/H/S:

When a group of petty criminals is hired by a mysterious party to retrieve a rare piece of found footage from a rundown house in the middle of nowhere, they soon realize that the job isn’t going to be as easy as they thought. In the living room, a lifeless body holds court before a hub of old television sets, surrounded by stacks upon stacks of VHS tapes. As they search for the right one, they are treated to a seemingly endless number of horrifying videos, each stranger than the last.

Bringing together some of the top filmmakers in the game today, this wickedly conceived horror anthology sends the viewer through a gauntlet of suspense, terror, shock, and downright brutality—instantly distinguishing itself from a sea of lackluster found-footage horror flicks. The diverse and deviously creative minds behind V/H/S shatter any preconceived notions about the genre, making it feel inventive and captivating once again.

More info about this film will be posted on the blog as it comes.

Press Release: Dark Circles Announced For After Dark Originals 2 Later This Year

After Dark Studios, who started their popularity in 2006 with their release of AN AMERICAN HAUNTING, as well as the very successful "8 Films To Die For" and "After Dark Originals", are bringing "After Dark Originals 2" this year for horror fans who love the independent scene. They have announced the first film included in this series, called DARK CIRCLES - written and directed by Paul Soter, best known for his work on the Broken Lizard series of films such as SUPER TROOPERS, BEERFEST, and CLUB DREAD. It will be released in theaters later this year. Check out the full synopsis and details below:

“Hopefully this will serve as some kind of cinematic equivalent of birth control.”
-Paul Soter, Writer/Director of Dark Circles

Synopsis:

When new parents Alex and Penny retreat from the city and move into a place outside town, the stress and massive sleep-deprivation caused by their infant has both of them seeing things in the house that may or may not exist. Persistent sightings of a strange woman has each of them wondering if they are suffering from hallucinations, or if their new home holds a dark, supernatural presence. As their fragile grasp on reality spirals into delirium, Alex and Penny find themselves nearly helpless to deal with the horrific truth of what is really going in this house.

After Dark Films has made yet another unprecedented commitment to the production of eight original horror films this year under the After Dark Originals “A New Brand of Fear” label, continuing the Company’s mantra of supporting first time independent film writers and directors. The creation of the second AD Originals slate is just another example of the Company’s commitment to the Indie film industry.

Continuing the success of After Dark Originals, the second installment will uphold the tradition of giving After Dark fans the scare they crave. The ADO 2 slate will make the genre proud, with supernatural demons, psychological killers, gruesome mysteries, and even a sci-fi sector fully equipped with aliens and a killer leprechaun. Beware horror fans, After Dark Films is giving the fans exactly the type of horror movies they asked for! Come and see for yourselves. We dare you…

You can find more information at After Dark Originals and its Facebook page.

Press Release: Insidious Offers Fans Live Q&A with Director James Wan and Screenwriter Leigh Whannell on Facebook

INSIDIOUS, the current number-one horror/supernatural film of 2011 [starring Rose Byrne, Patrick Wilson, and Barbara Hershey] is coming out on DVD and Blu-Ray on Tuesday, July 12th. If you haven't seen the film and like you like movies such as POLTERGEIST and THE ENTITY, it's a must buy or at least worthy of a rental. I haven't reviewed it on the blog, but I did see it opening weekend. It's definitely worth the time and money. When I see it again, I will share my thoughts with all of you on it.

INSIDIOUS' fanpage on Facebook will be hosting a live Q & A on Monday, July 11th around 9PST/Midnight EST where you, as fans, can ask questions to the director, James Wan and screenwriter and star Leigh Whannell, whom you remember created the SAW franchise. If you go to the page and leave a question or comment on the UStream tab with #InsidiousLIVE, you'll be automatically entered for a chance to win a FREE COPY OF INSIDIOUS on DVD or Blu-Ray.

If any of my readers have a question for Mr. Wan and Mr. Whannell, please leave a comment on this post so I can share it with the moderators of the Q & A.

Here's the link to INSIDIOUS' page on Facebook: Insidious on Facebook

Enjoy the weekend!

FANGORIA TO HOST SPECIAL SCREENING OF INSIDIOUS AND OFFER FANS LIVE STREAMED Q&A ON FACEBOOK WITH DIRECTOR JAMES WAN AND SCREENWRITER LEIGH WHANNELL

INSIDIOUS TO ARRIVE ON BLU-RAY™/DVD ON JULY 12

WHO: Insidious Director James Wan and Screenwriter Leigh Whannell

WHAT: Fangoria will host a FREE screening of Insidious for fans directly followed by a Q&A with Wan and Whannell that will be streamed live for fans nationwide. Fans are encouraged to send in questions for the director and screenwriter in advance via Facebook and Twitter using #InsidiousLIVE. Questions will be answered as part of the LIVE stream at www.facebook.com/InsidiousFilm.

WHEN: Monday, July 11
Screening begins at 7:30PM
Live streamed Q&A starts at 9:00PM on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/InsidiousFilm (Check in early online for event!)

WHERE: Los Angeles - Silent Movie Theater
611 North Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90048

Nationwide – www.facebook.com/InsidiousFilm

Described as the “the scariest horror film since Poltergeist” (Jason Bene, KillerFilm.com), the hair-raising horror film Insidious debuts on Blu-ray™ and DVD July 12th from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Director James Wan and Screenwriter Leigh Whannell will be available for interviews following the screening of the film.

For more information on Insidious on Blu-ray™ and DVD, visit www.sphepublicity.com.

Press Release: "Scream of the Banshee" - SyFy's 200th Original Film!

After Dark Films sent Full Moon Reviews information for its upcoming (and sure to be) SyFy Channel classic original, SCREAM OF THE BANSHEE. It will premiere March 26th at 9PM (ET/PT). Spread the word and support our favorite SyFy originals.

Here's the press release:
"Since 2002, Syfy viewers have experienced mutated sharks, mosquito men, alligators as big as blimps, vengeful demon moths, pterodactyls, werewolves, dragons and really, really big snakes. Plus earthquakes that split the U.S. in half, man-made volcanoes, space storms, tornados made of ice, magnetic meteors and plagues of killer locusts -- every unnatural disaster imaginable. Now Syfy celebrates its bi-weekly assault on humanity with the premiere of its 200th Saturday Original Movie, Scream of the Banshee, on Saturday, March 26, at 9PM (ET/PT).

In Scream of the Banshee, when a college professor opens a mysterious and ornate box discovered hidden in the tunnels under her university, she and her students hear the horrifying scream of a bloodthirsty Banshee. Everyone who hears the scream is fated to die a strange and terrible death. Now the professor, her daughter and a few of her students must try to stop the Banshee.

A production of After Dark Films, Scream of the Banshee stars Lauren Holly (NCIS) and Lance Henriksen (Alien). Said Thomas Vitale, Executive Vice President, Programming and Original Movies: “Over the years, the growing popularity of Syfy’s original movie franchise has transformed the Syfy Saturday Original Movies into a pop culture staple. As the largest producer of original movies on television, we’re delighted to be the Saturday night viewing destination for millions of fans of independent sci-fi, creature feature and horror films.”

To mark the occasion, Syfy.com will launch March Monster Madness, the ultimate tournament to determine the king of all Syfy monsters. Thirty-two of our fun and frantic abominations, ranging from Mansquito to Sharktopus, Mega Shark to Gatoroid, and Rock Monster to Basilisk will square off, with users voting to determine the winner of each round and, ultimately, the champion of the Syfy creature pantheon. Fans will be able to see custom trading cards featuring their favorite monsters, share their votes with friends across social media platforms and enter a sweepstakes to win monster-themed prizes.

Enjoying a robust ratings surge, a Syfy Saturday Original Movie has broken the two million total viewers mark for six straight months (August-January). Overall, the movies have averaged nearly two million viewers in 2011.

The most watched Saturday Original Movie ever is Lake Placid 2 (2007) with 3.2 million viewers."


For those interested, here's the complete list of SyFy original films:

2002
Interceptor Force 2

2003
Dragon Fighter; Control Factor; Antibody; Do or Die; Cube 2: Hypercube; Threshold; Silent Warnings; Deathlands; Encrypt; Webs; Alien Hunter; Momentum; Deep Shock; Absolon; Bugs; Deadly Swarm; Beyond Re-Animator; The Bone Snatcher; Epoch: Evolution

2004
Dark Waters; Dragon Storm; Alien Lockdown; Curse of The Komodo; Snakehead Terror; Phantom Force; Dinocroc; Boa vs. Python; Post Impact; Decoys; They Are Among Us; Out For Blood; Raptor Island; Darklight; Frankenfish; Gargoyles: Wings Darkness; Species III; Puppetmaster vs. Demon Toys

2005
Larva; Chupacabra: Dark Seas; Slipstream; Alien Siege; Mansquito; Alien Apocalypse; Snake King; Man-Thing; The Fallen Ones; Descent; Crimson Force; Hammerhead: Shark Frenzy; Attack of the Sabretooth; Bloodsuckers; Alien Express; Pterodactyl; Man with the Screaming Brain; Path of Destruction; Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God; Return of the Living Dead: Necropolis; Return of the Living Dead: Rave to the Grave; Cerberus; Locusts: The 8th Plague; Manticore

2006
Caved In: Prehistoric Terror; Magma: Volcanic Disaster; House of the Dead 2; Disaster Zone: Volcano in NY; Minotaur; SS Doomtrooper; Mammoth; A.I. Assault; Abominable; Black Hole; Android Apocalypse; Slayer; Dragon Dynasty; Stan Lee’s Lightspeed; Savage Planet; Dragon Sword; Sasquatch Mountain; Kraken: Tentacles of the Deep; Haunted Prison; Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes; Basilisk: Serpent King; Dead and Deader

2007
Grendel; Gryphon; Pumpkinhead: Blood Feud; Fire Serpent; Earthstorm; Reign of the Gargoyles; Kaw; Lake Placid 2; Ice Spiders; Harpies; Supergator; Sands of Oblivion; Stir of Echoes 2; Mega Snake; Highlander: The Source; Species: The Awakening; Wraiths of Roanoke; Headless Horseman; Bats: Human Harvest; Showdown at Area 51

2008
Beyond Loch Ness; Ghost Voyage; Blood Monkey; The Bone Eater; The Hive; Living Hell; Ogre Hybrid; Rock Monster; Odysseus: Voyage to the Underworld; Warbirds; Infected; Aztec Rex; Never Cry Werewolf; Heatstroke; 100 Million BC; Copperhead; Ghouls; Termination Point; Anaconda 3; Monster Ark; Black Swarm; Flu Bird Horror; Baal: The Storm God; Vipers; Riddles of the Sphinx; NYC Tornado Terror; Swamp Devil; Fire and Ice; Battle Planet; Yeti; Lost City Raiders; Cyclops; Sharks in Venice; Lost Treasure of the Grand Canyon

2009
The Immortal Voyage of Captain Drake; Planet Raptor; Wyvern; Splinter; Hydra; Anacondas: Trail of Blood; War Wolves; Sea Beast; Polar Storm; Thor: Hammer of the Gods; Carny; 100 Feet; Fireball; The Book of Beasts; Star Runners; Rise of the Gargoyles; Mutant Chronicles; Sand Serpents; Hellhounds; Malibu Shark Attack; Infestation; Phantom Racer; High Plains Invaders; Lightning Strikes; Clive Barker’s Book of Blood; Children of the Corn (Remake); Megafault; Wolvesbayne; Ghost Town; Ice Twisters; Fire From Below; Beyond Sherwood Forest; Annihilation Earth

2010
House of Bones; Meteor Storm; Beauty and the Beast: A Dark Tale; Dinoshark; Dark Relic; Mega Piranha; Mothman; Mongolian Death Worm; Witchville; Stonehenge Apocalypse; Dinocroc vs. Supergator; Goblin; Jack Hunter and the Lost Treasure of Ugarit; Frost Giant; Lake Placid 3; Mandrake; Sharktopus; Monsterwolf; Red: Werewolf Hunter; The Lost Future; Triassic Attack; Ice Quake

2011
Behemoth; Mega Python vs. Gatoroid; Iron Invader; Area 51; Battle of Los Angeles; Scream of the Banshee

I can't believe it's been 200 already. Thanks for giving us laughs and C-list celebrities every Saturday night, Syfy!

PRESS RELEASE: Magnet Releasing Takes North American Rights to I SAW THE DEVIL

Toronto – September 15, 2010 – The Wagner/Cuban Company's Magnet Releasing, genre arm of Magnolia Pictures announced today that it has acquired North American rights to KIM Jeewoon’s (The Good, The Bad and The Weird and A Tale of Two Sisters) I SAW THE DEVIL at the Toronto International Film Festival. Shockingly violent and stunningly accomplished, I SAW THE DEVIL transcends the police procedural, pushing the boundaries of extreme Asian cinema in ways that will surprise and thrill fans of the genre.

The Good, the Bad and the Weird’s Lee Byung-hyun stars as Dae-hoon, a special agent whose pregnant wife becomes the latest victim of a disturbed and brutal serial killer, captivatingly played by Oldboy’s Choi Min-sik. Vowing revenge, Dae-hoon blurs the lines between hunter and hunted and good and evil, eventually becoming a monster himself in his twisted pursuit of revenge.

"I SAW THE DEVIL is one of the most riveting and unrelenting films I've ever seen. It is an undisputable masterpiece," said Magnet SVP Tom Quinn. "Unparalleled in it's brutality, Kim Jeewoon deftly takes the serial killer thriller to new, profoundly disturbing heights. It's hard to imagine curating a genre label that didn't include this remarkable achievement."

The deal was negotiated by Magnet's Quinn with Youngjoo Suh from Finecut. Magnet will release I SAW THE DEVIL theatrically in first quarter 2011.

About Magnet Releasing

Magnet is the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures (www.magpictures.com), specializing in films from the vanguard of horror, action, comedy and Asian cinema, and is home to such films as Tomas Alfredson’s Let the Right One In, Neil Marshall’s sword and sandals bloodbath Centurion, John Woo’s historical epic Red Cliff, Ty West’s terrifying The House of the Devil, Tony Jaa’s Ong Bak trilogy, Nicholas Winding Refn’s Bronson, the Spanish horror film [Rec]2, and George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead. Coming soon is Gareth Edwards’ highly anticipated sci-fi masterpiece Monsters, coming to theaters in October, and Quentin Dupieux’s Rubber, featuring a killer tire on a murder spree. Magnolia Pictures is the theatrical and home entertainment distribution arm of the Wagner/Cuban Companies, a vertically integrated group of media properties co-owned by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban that also include the Landmark Theatres chain, the production company 2929 Productions, and high-definition cable network HDNet.

For additional information or requests, please contact:
Clay Dollarhide, cdollarhide@mprm.com

Brandon Nichols, bnichols@mprm.com

Janeal Bernhart, jbernhart@mprm.com